I must say I felt embarrassed as a Baltimore resident after reading your article "Solar companies say they face hurdles in Baltimore Co." (Jan. 4).
Solar energy is on the rise in every corner of the country — in fact, just a few days ago the governor of California, Jerry Brown, just announced that 50 percent of that state's energy will come from renewable energy sources by 2030. A giant slice of that pie chart will come from solar energy.
We have a booming solar industry in the state that can help grow our economy in both Baltimore and Maryland overall. So why are we still seeing such needless roadblocks?
It's time for Baltimore County to wake up and see the sunshine. In fact, our state legislators have a chance to make an even bigger statement in the upcoming session.
This year lawmakers could consider a bill that, if passed, would allow Maryland to generate 40 percent of its total energy needs from renewable sources by 2025. The industry is here, the opportunity is here and the legislation is here. Now it's up to us to hold our legislators accountable and get it done.
Talya Tavor, Baltimore
The writer is a campaign organizer for Environment Maryland.